What do you think of No-Bark collars?

Question

do they harm the dog i have a miniature dachshund who barks the whole time hes alone and i was thinking of getting one for him what do you recommend or what were your experiences with the no bark collars and please no negative comments I've thought a lot about this and i feel its best for my sanity and my dogs protection

Answer 1

I don`t believe in them myself, I would not use them on my dogs.

Answer 2

If you cannot be by your dogs side 24 hours a day to correct his barking habits, then yes, you need a bark collar.

No, it is not inhumane - what is inhumane is letting dogs bark resulting in you becoming completely frustrated - right?

I cannot stay by all of my dogs 24/7 so I cannot effectively correct them in proper timing, so I have a bark collar.  It works.  Our youngest (5 mos) has since learned that when the collar is on, she cannot continuously bark.  While she can make small, intermittent barks, she cannot 'bark,bark,bark,bark' non-stop.

Anyone who feels that they're cruel has recieved the wrong information about them - if more people opted to purchase on, or work on training their dog, less dogs would end up in the shelters.

ADD: Greekman, I was hoping you'd see this, too!

Answer 3

Electronic Fences and Shock Collars. they are cruel!

Electronic training devices such as electronic fences and anti-barking collars rely on painful punishment and negative reinforcement, causing dogs to live in fear of being electrocuted for normal behaviors like crossing invisible lines, barking, and jumping onto surfaces within their own homes. Positive training methods, in which dogs are rewarded for what they do right, are kinder and more effective.

Shock Collars

Dogs wearing shock collars can suffer from physical pain and injury (ranging from burns to cardiac fibrillation) and psychological stress, including severe anxiety and displaced aggression. Individual animals vary in their temperaments and pain thresholds; a shock that seems mild to one dog may be severe to another. The anxiety and confusion caused by repeated shocks can lead to changes in the heart and respiration rate or gastrointestinal disorders. Electronic collars can also malfunction, either administering nonstop shocks or delivering no shocks at all.

Electronic Fences

Dogs whose yards are surrounded by electronic fences may develop fear or aggression aimed at what they believe is the source of the shock (kids riding by on bikes, the mail carrier, the dog next door, etc.). Dogs have been known to run through electronic barriers when frightened by fireworks or chasing a squirrel and then be too scared to cross back through the barrier.

Electronic fences may actually encourage animals to try to escape. Since dogs only suffer painful shocks in the yard, they may associate the shock with the yard itself—once they get out of the yard, the pain goes away. The fact that the pain returns when they try to reenter the yard can cause dogs to believe that they are being punished for returning home.

Even when animals are confined within certain boundaries of an electronic fence, they are still in danger of attacks by roaming dogs, cruel humans, or other animals, who can freely enter the property. Electronic fences are a dog thief’s dream come true!

Humane and Safe Boundaries

The most effective way to keep your dog safely confined to your property is to keep him or her inside the house when you aren’t home and allow him or her outside only under close supervision on a leash or in a securely fenced enclosure.

Some Fencing Guidelines

    A 6-foot privacy fence is best, preventing your dog or intruders from scaling it.

    Wood or vinyl fencing is optimal for privacy, but chain link is less expensive. (Small windows covered with wire mesh can be cut into wooden fences to allow dogs to see out.)

    Replace a short fence with a taller one, or add an extension to the top.

    Line the fence with rocks or a cement-filled trench to prevent digging.

If you cannot afford a fence, have a yard that would be difficult to fence, or live in a condominium or townhouse where fences are not allowed, consider letting your dog out only on a leash and taking him or her to a fenced dog park or to a friend’s fenced yard for play and exercise. You may also want to consult a certified dog behaviorist about teaching your dog to stay within boundaries through the use of positive reinforcement.

Living With Barking Dogs

Dogs bark for a variety of reasons but mainly because of boredom, distress, separation anxiety, and defense of their territory. Young dogs, small or active breeds, and dogs who are chained up or left outside most of the time are more likely to bark. For humane and safety reasons, as well as to maintain good relations with your neighbors, it is best to keep your dog indoors when you are not at home. Dogs are less likely to bark indoors, and any barking that they do indoors is less likely to be loud enough to disturb the neighbors.

Tips to Prevent Boredom-Related Barking

    Take your dog for two or three walks per day; family members, trusted neighbors, or professional dogwalkers can help during the workday.

    Allow your dog least five opportunities to relieve him- or herself during a day.

    Provide plenty of chew toys; rotate them and provide new ones.

    Give your dog a toy that can be filled with treats; working to get the treats out will provide mental and physical stimulation.

    Agility and flyball courses are fun and a great outlet for a dog’s energy.

    Barking at intruders or frightening noises is a natural behavior for dogs and should not be totally forbidden.

Tips to Prevent Excessive Barking at Strangers or Noises

    Take your dog out daily to interact and socialize with other people. Praise him or her for friendliness.

    When people visit your house, give your dog a treat or toy so that he or she associates guests with something positive.

    When something frightens your dog, encourage him or her to sit, lie down, or play with a toy.

A humane dog trainer or certified behaviorist will be able to provide more tips on desensitizing your dog to frightening sounds.

If you must use an anti bark collar-HUMANE option

Use the ABS brand-NO SHOCKS anti bark, it sprays a citronella&dogs generally don't like the smell

http://www.absaustralia.com.au/antibark-...

Answer 4

Some dogs just wanna bark, even if they have enough time and attention and exercise.  No-bark collars work wonderfully. If you have a dog that is a nuisance barker, you may be forced by local ordinance to give him up, so a no-bark collar is definitely a better alternative.  

Answer 5

If nothing is working, and that can totally happen, EVEN with training and exercise, and mental stimulation, a shock collar, or no bark training collar can be a sanity saver for sure.

I'm fortunate enough to have never needed one, as my dogs are responsive to training and positive reinforcement.

Keep in mind, Doxie's were bred for that bark, so expecting it not to, is like asking a Border Collie to be still.

Answer 6

Ok so you ask what we think then say no negative comments............

Answer 7

I think that if your dog is causing nuisance by its barking then you need to do whatever it takes to sort out the problem.  I have never used any sort of no bark collars on my dogs but I would if I had to.  I would probably try the option with least impact on the dog to start with - probably the citronella collar - and if that didn't work then the shock collar as a last resort.

I remember many many years ago there was a barking deterrent which was a box you mounted in your yard and when the dog barked it was triggered and emitted a noise that only dogs could hear.  This supposedly distracted them.  I don't know if it actually worked or whether they are still around.

Good luck

Answer 8

Bark collars work great and I have used them for about 20 years. Never had any issues with any dog that has ever had them on.

They teach the dog a new behavior...to shut it when the collar goes on.

I am, of course, talking about the Electric collars, not the spray ones.

Dogtra.com!!

Answer 9

I think the shock ones are cruel.

They do have ones that spray the dog when they bark.

Answer 10

I agree with Nekai.  I have 3 bassets and the male is the loudest and most persistent of the lot.  I try to be respectful of my neighbors, but I can understand that sometimes enough is enough.  When he gets in the mode, correction only works for a short period of time and then he is back at it.  I have to work, so I can't be there every minute of the day.

I tried the citronella collars which worked for about a month and took refills every two days.  He would bark right through it when he was on the scent of something or the neighbors kids were out playing.  As a last resort I went to the battery operated collar about of year ago.  In just a day the barking stopped.  Now just telling him that I am going to get the bark collar usually stops him.  Most of the time, the battery is dead and I just put it on him.  The barking stops.  If he figures it out I will put a fresh battery it.

I know that many people feel they are cruel, but sometimes there is no choice when you have tried everything.  With the threat of nuisance barking laws and risk of you animals being placed in "jail" much less the costs of fines, it sometimes comes down to making the decision of what is less cruel.  I would prefer my kidz getting a little zap then going to the pound.  I have actually shocked myself with it, accidentally of course, and it wasn't as bad as some would lead you to believe.  I also don't have the protection of hair on my fingers.

Droolz

Answer 11

i think proper training , tons of physical and mental exercise works much much better

Answer 12

I think they are simply the only way to teach your dog not to bark when you're not there.  I also think they are the best way to teach a dog without a doubt.  We humans can never be as beautifully consistent as a bark collar, resulting in a dog who truly knows what is expected of him.

Might I suggest the Dogtra YS300.  It has a vibrate mode so once your dog knows the rules, you will probably never have to shock him anyway.

Answer 13

There are three types of bark collars.

First, there are collars that release a soothing scent.  These are intended to calm a dog, and assumes that dogs bark when they are anxious.  

Second, there are collars that make a noise when the dog barks. These are designed to startle the dog.

Third, there are collars that give a mild shock when the dog barks.

I have a very "vocal" small dog who barks at everything.  I don't think the scent collars work.  I originally went straight to the shock collars.  She was quite fearful of it, and I eventually started putting it on but with the power off.  When she figured that out, I switched to the noise collars.  The noise collars are great!  

Whatever collar you choose, I would disregard any comments that suggest the shock collars are cruel.  Any vet will tell you that it is a very mild shock - just like a human getting  a quick static electricity jolt  in the winter.  You should not feel guilty at all for using any type of bark collar.  First, your sanity is very important!  A sane owner is a happy owner :)  Second, your neighbors will, at best, hate you and, at worst, call animal control or the police.  If you rent, you risk eviction.  Third, constant barking is inappropriate.  

Regarding comments that training alone will solve the problem: some dogs, especially toy breeds, just don't train well.  This problem is compounded by the reality that many toy breeds are vocal by nature.  More importantly, your dog might be perfectly trained when you are at home, but not when you are away.  A bark collar is a type of training.  You can always try spraying her with water or shaking a can of stones, but, again, this probably won't stop the barking when you are away.

Try out what I did: start with a shock collar and progress down to a noise collar.  You can remove  the collar when you are home, but make sure the collar remains in the plain view of the dog.  Right now, my dog wears a collar while I am away or on conference calls at home.  I take it off when I am home, and simply waving it at her when she starts to bark is enough to stop it.  

You can find very inexpensive noise collars on eBay - I actually just buy a new collar when the batteries run out because it's cheaper than new batteries!

Good luck!